Language shows the environment where we live. We name the things around. Usually, the important things own many specific names, while the less important things only have some general names. So in one culture people may have a large vocabulary to describe a certain object, while in another culture, such vocabulary is small.
For instance, the Chinese have many words for "rice" and for "family members". The British use many different expressions for "rain". Kids growing up on a farm may be able to offer ten different words for plow, a farming tool.
In some cultures, there is an amazingly large vocabulary to describe a certain thing. Eskimos have about 100 words for snow. For them, snow is so important to life that each of its forms and conditions has to own a name. They divide snow into four main categories, such as snow lying on the ground, snow floating in the sky, snow piling up, and snow piles. These different kinds of snow will tell them different weather conditions. It's the same with the Arabians, whose life depends much on camels. In the Arabic language, according to camels' appearance, characters, drinking behaviours, and the roles they play, there are hundreds of different words for the camel and all of its parts. Snow and camel are far less important in English-speaking cultures, and the single words "snow" and "camel" can usually satisfy their needs. When the needs become more specific, however, they can make up longer phrases to meet the needs: "corn snow", "flying snow", "big camel", "funny camel", etc.
As we can see, there is a▲ between the words and the ideas of that culture. So it's not hard to understand that each culture passes on its ideas and thoughts through words.
